I Will Become the Queen of the Enemy Country

Karan and Elise.

Upon hearing the two names, a fine tremor ran under Chase’s eyes.

Iris didn’t miss that.

‘Chase is really easy to handle.’

She was angry that he still reacted to the name Elise, but Iris hid her feelings and let out a pitiful voice.

“Karan will surely earn merits. On the other hand, you…”

It was worth pointing out the tone of comparing Karan and Chase, but Chase heard nothing afterwards.

He imagined Elise and Karan standing side by side. Chase clenched his teeth hard.

Since when?

When Karan, whom he had never been bothered before, started to annoy him.

There was no need to think twice. It was when Elise abandoned Chase and chose him.

Since then, Chase compared himself to Karan in every way, regardless of what others said.

Easily from appearance, and his achievements.

Karan was inferior to him in every way. But there was one thing that was better than him.

It was the achievement built up while roaming the battlefield. Chase, who couldn’t have the opportunity, took it from his childhood like eating rice and made it his own achievement.

But this time, he’s going to subjugate the gate?

Chase felt like he was falling behind.

If he stayed still like this, he felt like he would never be able to get Elise back.

In frustration, Chase pulled out his Cravat.

‘I need to pull myself together.’

He forced a smile. Chase, who barely suppressed his emotions, said,

“Let’s start with tea.”

Chase rang the bell to call the servant. After a while, the servant brought tea and refreshments.

The high-quality tea instantly turned the room into a flower garden.

Elise came to mind reflexively at the faint scent of flowers.

‘The tea that Elise used to enjoy.’

It was also the tea she had gifted to Chase.

Chase picked up the teacup and put it down. His mood was so low it was miserable.

“Your Highness?”

Iris, who was holding the teacup, looked at Chase, who was lost in thought.

Chase, who inadvertently lifted his head, admired Iris, who looked like a rabbit different from Elise, as if he were looking at a piece of art.

‘Beautiful.’

She was an excellent partner to have by his side.

A woman everyone envied, Iris was beautiful. Her face was perfect without any flaws.

It was the only thing Chase had that was better than David’s.

Even Lange was satisfied with him being engaged to Iris.

But that was it.

She was a piece of art. Beautiful, but it doesn’t make his heart beat.

Every time he saw her, Elise came to mind.

But he couldn’t deny that she was the best thing he had.

‘Should I be satisfied here?’

Feeling choked, Chase drank his tea.

“Where did you hear that news?”

“What news… Ah, are you talking about the news that Elise and His Highness Karan entering the gate? That… it’s difficult to say. But it’s certain. I guarantee it.”

Iris was consistently confident. Just by her attitude, it didn’t seem like a lie.

‘Unless the informant gave the wrong information.’

“Your Highness, the sage told me.”

Chase’s gaze, which was directed out the window, was fixed on Iris.

“They say the gate is opening.”

How could Iris have known the top secret among top secrets? Chase, who was pondering for a moment, soon realized.

That she was one of the three candidates for the next sage.

It was a well-known fact that the sages were circling around Iris, who was a sage candidate.

Since she will soon become a sage, she could share information.

“Yes, the gate will open. They said it would be in a month.”

“The morning meeting must have been about the gate subjugation, right?”

“Did you hear that from the sages too? Then you must also know that the sages will support the gate subjugation.”

“Yes, I know. They said it’s going to be very busy from now on.”

“I suppose so.”

Chase made a meaningless reply. The smile that had spread across Iris’s face slowly faded.

“Your Highness.”

The tone of Iris’s voice changed. At her reprimanding call, he turned his head.

“Why are you so calm, Your Highness? Are you just going to sit still and watch others set up the game? You can’t do that. You have to do it, Your Highness.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The gate subjugation.”

Chase laughed without realizing it. Iris flinched at his reaction.

“I’m sorry. It seems I’m quite ignorant about this matter…”

“Ignorant?”

Iris asked back. Chase’s eyes sparkled at her stern voice.

“Your Highness, I know very well. If you remain passive, everything will belong to His Highness David.”

A wrinkle formed on Chase’s forehead. Iris’s words were precarious. They gently touched the anger that Chase had barely suppressed.

There are things that should not be said depending on the other party.

Iris’s words just now were like that. But Iris had no hesitation. She was always confident, just like when she entered Chase’s space without permission.

“Why would you remain passive? You have rights too.”

“What if the person who should give it doesn’t think so?”

“If the person doesn’t think so, then you should take it!”

“…!”

Chase was greatly surprised. What Iris said was the same as his deeply buried true feelings.

“His Majesty will recognize your true worth someday. Let’s try a little harder.”

It was very different from what Elise used to say.

Chase became interested in Iris. He thought she was just a pretty ornament.

Seeing the interest in his eyes, Iris held Chase’s hand on the table.

As she stroked the inside of Chase’s hand, she spoke as if tempting him.

“His Highness David might have a reason not to go to the gate subjugation. We should prepare for that time.”

At the tone filled with certainty that there would definitely be a problem with David, the corners of Chase’s mouth turned up.

The feeling of being choked seemed to have eased a bit.

****

“Let’s take a short break and go.”

When Karan signaled, the exhausted subjugation team members sat down on the ground.

They were already nearing the end of the gate.

Thanks to Karan leading the team members through the shortcut, there were no major battles, but they couldn’t avoid minor battles due to monsters popping out unexpectedly.

“Ah, it’s hard even though we took the shortcut. If we had gone the standard way, we would have had a hard time.”

Joseph, who likes to fight, also stuck out his tongue as if he was tired.

“That’s right.”

“How tenacious those little ones are. Haltbin, which one was the hardest to deal with? I say goblin.”

Haltbin, who had just emptied his water bottle and put it down anywhere, frowned as if he was disgusted just thinking about it.

“The furry monster. I don’t know the name.”

Elise, who was listening to the conversation from a distance from the team members, blushed.

The battle with the furry monster could have been avoided.

But Elise, who knew the poison magic of the furry monster well and needed something, chose the path to face the furry monster.

‘It’s a weak individual…and His Highness David’s party still needed time to come in and prepare.’

Elise, who was swallowing excuses in her mind, laughed out loud.

Various reasons did influence, but the real reason was different.

Hair growth treatment. This revolutionary medicine could only be made from a furry monster.

Elise was sorry and couldn’t lift her head.

“Elise, are you tired?”

Karan suddenly held out a small chocolate in front of Elise’s face. The chocolate wrapped in silver foil was squashed from its original round shape.

“No. But I’ll gratefully accept the chocolate you gave me.”

Elise picked up the chocolate on Karan’s palm and unwrapped it. Karan said ‘Oh no’ and narrowed his forehead.

The chocolate was all melted.

“It’s not edible, give it here…”

“Um, it’s delicious, why?”

Elise licked faster than Karan’s hand. Elise happily ate the completely melted chocolate.

How cute she looked eating the messy, ruined chocolate.

Karan quickly covered her with his wide back in case anyone saw.

“Elise, you shouldn’t eat like that in the future.”

Karan, who had waited until Elise finished eating the chocolate, picked up the wrapper and said.

“Your Highness, that’s dirty. Give it to me.”

It’s not dirty at all. Karan pretended not to hear and spoke again.

“Don’t lick…ah, don’t eat chocolate like that again.”

“Was it very ugly?”

Elise was embarrassed.

Was the melted chocolate a welcome sight for her?

She just ate it because she was happy about the thought that Karan brought it thinking of her.

Even if Karan didn’t warn her, she wouldn’t make a fool of herself again.

“That’s not it.”

Karan turned his head abruptly, recalling the sight of her flickering red tongue.

“I behaved too casually in front of you. I’ll be more respectful in the future. I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

Karan’s face hardened.

It’s not okay in front of others, but it’s okay in front of me!

She was so polite that it was suffocating.

“But Your Highness, I ate the chocolate just now as a sign of thank you as well…”

Elise unknowingly expressed her disappointment.

She thought they had become much closer, but it seemed he didn’t think so.

Elise’s cheeks puffed up.

Karan realized what misunderstanding she was having. It was an utterly absurd misunderstanding.

‘Misunderstandings should be cleared up right away.’

“Elise.”

“…I really don’t behave like that normally. Okay?”

Elise, who was making excuses that were not excuses, lifted her head. And soon after, she was shocked.

Because Karan licked Elise’s lips with his tongue.

“…Um, Your Highness?”

“It’s delicious. It’s the chocolate you left for me to taste, isn’t it?”

Elise hastily rubbed her mouth with the back of her hand. While eating the chocolate, she must have smeared it on her mouth.

That’s why Karan told her not to do it. While smearing her lips…

Eww, thinking about it, there was no disgrace like this.

“Elise.”

Before she could have another strange thought, Karan revealed his true feelings.

“What I said earlier was only for when you’re in front of me. I want to be the only one to eat the chocolate smeared on your lips.”

Karan grabbed Elise’s shoulder and bent down. He whispered in her ear.

“It tastes good. I’ll look forward to it next time.”

Karan left Elise and moved away.

Elise’s face turned bright red as she belatedly understood Karan’s words and actions.

‘Again…looking forward to…really can’t stop.’

While Elise was pressing her cheeks with her palms to cool down her heat, Karan who had moved away shouted.

“We’re leaving.”

“Your Highness, we need to rest more!”

“Those with heavy buttocks will be bitten by monsters from the buttocks first!”

Joseph laughed out loud after saying his piece.

“That guy will be eaten from the mouth first.”

Haltbin, who had checked the minor injuries of the team members, spoke to Leber, who was packing the medical bag.

Leber laughed awkwardly.

“You seem nervous.”

Haltbin helped Leber carry the medical bag.

“You have to be nervous. The owner of the gate will appear just around the corner.”

Leber rubbed his palm on his pants.

“Why are you so nervous? We have His Highness and Elise, the gate expert. With just the two of them, we’re invincible. Look, this time it will end quickly too.”

Haltbin, who had seen the situation turn around from close by, knew even though Karan didn’t say it outright.

The information Karan knows comes from Elise.

Haltbin was not one to bluff or exaggerate his skills.

He sincerely believed that it would be as he said.

Because the gate subjugation, which was supposed to cause tremendous damage, proceeded too easily.

But just an hour later, Haltbin wanted to bite his tongue.

“Elise!”

Haltbin’s shout shook the gate.